Adjustable piano-bench



VALENTINE BELZIAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ADJUSTABLE PIANO-BENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 1, 1919.

, Appl-cation led March 8, 1919. Serial No 281,443.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, VALENTINE BELZIAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in AdjustablePiano-Benches, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a piano bench whose height may be adjusted,and it per tains particularly to the means for adjustingDthe height.

iano benches as ordinarily constructed have no means for adjustment ofthe height of the seat. It is the primary object of my invention toprovide a bench having the gen eral appearance of those now commonlyused, but which may be readily adjusted to any height. It is anotherobject of this invention to provide adjustment means, which does notinterfere with the provision of a receptacle or box beneath the seat formusic and the like.

In addition to the broader features of my invention, there are certaindetails of construction, whereby a compact, simple, strong, durablestructure is secured, which is easy to manipulate and can be so arrangedas not to detract from the appearance of the bench.

These objects will be more fully understood, as will also other objectsand corres ending accomplishments of my invention rom the followindetailed description of a preferred embo iment of my invention. For thepurpose of this descripton reference is had to the accompanyingdrawing,in which: Y

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete bench With the seatserving as a cover for the music receptacle orbox, the seat or oeverbeing in open position; Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of o-neend of the bench taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 4- Fig. 3 is afragmentary plan view of the elevating gearing looking from below; Fig.4 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

In general the bench comprises a box like compartment A supported uponlegs and a frame B telescopig over said compartment so that it may beraised and lowered. Hinged to the frame B is a cover C which serves as aseat.

Extending across the compartment A at about the center thereof is across piece 5.

Adjacent the ends of compartment A are false end walls, one of which isindicated by G in Fig. 2. As the structures at the ends of the bench areduplicates of each other, only one will be described. End 6 pref.-erably slides in grooves in the front and back Walls so that it can beremoved for the purpose of exposing the elevating mecha nism. The endwalls 6 have a slat or rib 7 thereon to support the bottom 8 of thecompartment, the latter also resting upon slats or ribs 9 formed on thefront and rear walls. Cross piece 5 may also have an elevation uponwhose upper surface the bottom may rest.

End wall 6 also serves to hold against displacement a sliding elevatingboard 10. Secured at the front and back of the elevating board arestandards 11 and 1Q, upon the opposing'faces of which are fastened racks13 and 14. The racks may be secured to the standards 'by screws or byany other suitable means. It will be noted by an inspection of Fig. Qthat racks 13 and 14 are not in alinement transverse of the bench, butrack 13 is set forward of rack 14. Shroud pieces 15 and 16 substantiallyin alinem'ent cover the sides of the racks. Secured to the end Wall ofthe compartment A is a bearing block 17 whose ieriphery is semi-circularin shape. Mounted thereon is a segmental ear 1S, a tongue 20 beingformed thereon, w lic-h is disposed in a corresponding groove on bearingblock 17. The gear 18 meshes with rack 13 and is so disposed upon the.bearing block that it will revolve thereon. It will be noted that gear18 hereafteriealled an elevating gear is so disposed that vit will notmesh wlth rack 14. A similar elevating gear 19 having a tongue disposedin a groove on the opposite side of the bearing block 17meshes with rack14, but is so disposed that it will not mesh with rack 13. Gears 18 and19 are spaced Withrespect to their planes of rotation so that they mayrevolve independently of one another. The elevating gears are revolvedby gears, which are later described.

Journaled on the under side of cross piece 5 is a shaft 21 which extendsinto a key hole in the front side of box A. Pins may be disposed uponthe shaft for engagement by the socket of a crank key 22 for turnin theshaft. However, any suitable form o key connection may be used. Mountedupon the rear"of shaft 21 is a worm Q3, which meshes with a worm wheel24. Vorm wheel let is fixed to a siiarlt Q5, land adjacent the endthereof is pinion ".213, which drives a pinion 27 fixedy toshal't 28. ltwill he noted that pinion 2G is so disposed that it docs not mesh witheither of the elevating' Iejears 18 or 19. However, pinion 27 is wideenough to mesh with elevatings gear 18, but not wide enough to mesh withelevating, gear 19. Fixed to the end of shaft 25 is a pinion 29 which isjust wide enough and so disposed as'to mesh with elevating gear 19, butnot to mesh with elevating gear 18.

It is obvious that upon turning the crank key 22 shaft 25 will berotated in one direction and inotion conveyed through pinious E26 and 27to rotate shaft 28 in the opposite direction. Pinion 27 moves elevating'lgear 18 in a direction opposite to elevating gear 19. Thus. both racks13 and 14 are moved simultaneously upwardly or downwardly. and therebymove elevating board l0 up wardly or downwardly. A like set of clevating gears and cooperating racks at the other end of the benchsimultaneously more an elevating board in the same direction.` By thismeans two elevating boards, one at each end of the bench are raised andlowered.

Telescoping over the box A is the frana` B rovided with end pieces 30and 31 which rest upon the elevating boards, so that the frame B movesupwardly and downwardly with the elevating boards. The end pieces 30 and31 coperating with front and back pieces on the top also serve as afinish to the appearance of the music compartment.

The bench when used for manually playing a piano should have the coveror seat C horizontal. W'lien used for playing automatic piano players,it is more convenient and comfortable to have an inclination to theseat. This is convenientlyr accomplished by having inclination blocks orwedges 32 and 33, which are detaehably mounted upon the top of theframe. A convenient means of attachment consists in having dowel pinsfixed to the bottoms of the wedges and engaging holes in the frame, asbest shown in Fig. 4. In order to preserve the appearance of the bench,a. molding 31 is secured to the cover so that it. will overhang theopening betweenlthe top of the frame and the cover when the wedges arein position. W'hen the bench is to be used for a player piano, thewedges 32 and 33 will be placed in position. lVhen the bench is to beused for manual playing, the wedges are removed and the seat ishorizontal. A

Let it be assumed that the cover or seat C is closed either with. orwithout the wedges thereunder as desired, and that the seat is in itslower position. If it is wished to raise the seat, the key 22 is placedin position on a shaft 21 and rotated. Motion iS conveyed to theelevating' gears at the ends of the bench and the elevating boards aneraised. 'lhis lifts the frame B. ln whatever position. as to height` theseat may be, the outside of the frame worli B appears as a molding. Theoperatiin;r mechanism is inclosed within the ends, so that when thecover is raised the compartment for containing music is not niai'red inappearance and gives no evidence of other than the usual piano benchconstruction. By reason of the character of the gear structure a firmsupport for the seat is provided in whatever position it may be.

Although certa-in detailsI of structure are described, I do not limitmyself thereto. Thus, the elevating gears 18 and 19 may be complete spurgears, and various maihanical cxpedicnts well known in the art may beresorted to.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. In av piano bench. the combination of a. supporting frame, a seatmounted thereon for elevation and depression; an elevating structure onwhich said seat is supported comprising a pair of racks at one end forraising and lowering said seat, juxtaposed elevating gearsconeentrically mounted, one cach in mesh with a rack, a. shaft havingr apinion thereon meshing with one of said gears, a second pinion on saidshaft, a second shaft parallel to said first shaft, a pinion on saidsecond shaft meshing with the other of said gears and with said' secondpinion, and means to drive one of said shafts, said gears beingsupported by said pinions.

2. In a piano bench` the combination of a supporting' frame, a mountedthereon for elevation and depression; an elevating structure on whichsaid seat is su poi'ted comprising a pair of juxtaposed ellvating gearsconcentrieally mounted and connected to said seat, a shaft having apinion thereon meshing with one of said gears, a second pinion on saidshaft, a second shaft parallel to said first shaft a pinion on saidsecond shaft connected with the other of said gears and with said secondpinion, and means to drive one of said shafts,` said gears beingsupported by said pinions.

3. In a piano bench, the combination of a supporting frame, a seatmounted thereon for elevation and depression; an elevating structure onwhich said Vseat is supported comprising a pair of juxtaposed elevatinggears concentrioally mounted and connected to said seat, a pinionconnected with one of said gears, a pinion connected with the other ofSaid gears, said pinions being mounted on parallel shafts, said shaftsbeing geared together to rotate in opposite directions, and means todrive one of said shafts, said gears being supported by said pinions.

4. In a piano bench, the combination of a supporting frame, n seatmounted thereon for elevation and depression; an ele 'ating stxnehxre onwhich said seat is snppm'ell comprising a pair of ravks ai one, end hn'ing with each of said gears. and mechanism for ll'ving said mais inoppnsie direct-imm, f

said genis being supported by said pininns. Tn witness that I daim the:foregoing l have hereunto silbsei'ibfrll Iuynalne (hib` :16th day ofFebruary, 1915).

VALENTINE BELZIN.

